I have been reading the forums for info on the 424 and I was going to purchase it. However I went to the dealer to get a price and he says that I would not notice a difference when driving it due to how the diff works in the rancher. He told me they do not sell many anymore because people were so disapointed in them. I drive an 03 rancher by the way. Can anyone with the 424 tell me differently.

 

Well....the dealer where I bought my 05 Rancher sells them.....and installs them on the average of 2 a month.

I bought a 424 off of ebay for my Rancher and I very seldom put it in 4wd. Why? Because it's a sportier machine in 2wd.
The rear end is easily made to slide around in a curve and the best thing.....it's a heck of a lot easier to steer.
Not too mention the wear and tear it will save on the front end.

It took me a little over 2 hours to install mine and I did it by myself. The 424 is without a doubt the best 215 bucks I have ever spent on any atv after-market product.

I highly reccomend you get one.

Edit: I must also say that the guy I bought my Rancher from at the dealer asked me how much I paid for my 424. I told him 215 dollars and he said that was a dang good price. I asked him what they got for one and he said 279 dollars, plus, 150 for installation.

 

that's kinda funny, you would think they would be right there to get your business?? Instead they turned you away for something so easy to install?

The 424 makes a huge difference, especially when turning sharp corners on blacktop. You also can apply power to just the rear wheels, so you can break the back end loose around corners and spin donuts and stuff. I think it's a great investment and the best mod available for the Rancher.

 

Do you get a little better acceleration with it?

 

i didnt really notice anything there though, but that wasnt what i was looking for. Accelerating in a straight line really doesnt do anything to the front end.

In fact, you could probably accelerate faster in 4x4 than in 2x4 mode expecially on dirt cuz the rear tires are just going to spin more in 2x4, you'll have more grip in 4x4.

 

We all know how smart some of the dealers are dont we? The 424 works great on my rubicon and it has the same suretrac front dif as your rancher. It makes it alot more sporty and fun to drive, get one you will love it.

 

Your right about accelerating on dirt in 4wd Quick....but I did notice my Rancher seemed to have a little more "pep" in 2wd.
Anyway...you will love the 424 on your Rancher.

 

Thinkin of gettin a 424
does it actually replace the front diff.? If it does, is it open, locked, or limited slip like the facory unit? It would suck if it was either locked or open all the time. You ever heard of a detroit gearless locker/unlocker? highlifter advertises one on their site that supposedly locks the diff and/or disengages the cv shafts like the 424!

 

The 424 replaces the front drive shaft on your machine....not the front differential! The 424 just "disconnects" the front shaft and as a result, there is no power to the front end. When engaged, the front end works like it did when it came from the factory.

It's a great investment for any full-time 4wd atv. The places I ride don't really call for 4wd but it's there the few times I hit a big mud hole in a trail. When in 2wd, the Rancher steers easier and when you think about it, being there is no power to the front end, the wear and tear on the front axles and related parts are reduced thus adding to the life of the front end drive components.

 

Highlifter sells the Warn 424 as well as their own version of it....crappier, cheaper and not the same quality, both replace the front drivveshaft to unlock the front end to 2wd.

They also sell the detroit locker and their own spool locker seperatly which will lock the front diff for true 4x4, it replaces some parts in the front diff, not the whole thing.

They also bundled these items together in a locker/unlocker combo which gives you one each of the two things listed above.